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[COSTUME DESIGN GUIDE FOR CLUBS] Kostium na stsene: Rukovodstvo dlia dramkruzhkov [i.e. Costume on the Stage: Guide for Drama Clubs]

Krestovskaya, M.A.

Item #813

Moscow; Leningrad: Teakinopechat’, 1930. 112 pp.: ill. 22x15 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Very good. Wrappers detached from the text block.
First and only edition. One of 10070 copies. Rare. Illustrations by E.A. Zernova. The edition was sponsored and published by N.K. Krupskaya Central House of Amateur Art in City and Village. This organization was initially established in 1909 as Village Theatre Promotion Commission. Around famous artist V.D. Polenov actors, directors, and artists were united. They helped amateurs in the search and adaptation of the repertoire, in the manufacture of sets and costumes. At the expense of Polenov and with the support of the patron S.I. Mamontov for these purposes was built an unusual mansion where, in the words of Polenov, “theatrical work throughout Russia” was unfolded. In January 1921, ‘Polenov’s House’ was transformed into the Polenov’s House of Theater Education. The widespread discussion of mass amateur performances now carried out in line with the party-state ideology. Only in 1929, four All-Russian conferences were held, which widely covered the tasks and current work of the Polenov’s House. In July 1929, at the first All-Russian Conference on Rural Political Education, the question was raised of renaming the Polenov’s House as the Central House of Amateur Art in the city and village named after N.K. Krupskaya. This organization exists today as the State Russian House of Folk Art named after V.D. Polenov.
This guide was created in order to provide knowledge for drama clubs’ supervisors how to start the work, what are the goals of such clubs. Clubs were a big part of Soviet people’s lives as well as cultural and propaganda tool of the state. Drama sections were both entertainment and likbez. This short but thorough guide covers such topics as role of the costume in theatre, how to search or create a costume, costume details and their meaning, historical costumes, Russian costume in classical play and in plays of the 20s, the 30s, the 40s, costumes of noblemen, merchants, peasants, workers, contemporary costumes, military costume in USSR, costumes of USSR nationalities, foreign costume, how to make cheap costume, etc.
Worldcat locates copies at Harvard Library and New York Public Library.

Price: $550.00